The present invention relates to hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and more particularly, to an improved and light-weight oxygen delivery hood assembly for patients in hyperbaric chambers.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is intermittent, short-term, high-dose oxygen therapy. In this treatment, patients are exposed to increased barometric pressure inside rigid walled chambers so that oxygen may be breathed at higher doses than otherwise attainable. This results in a large increase in the partial pressure of oxygen physically dissolved in the plasma. For example, breathing air at sea level results in an arterial oxygen tension of about 100 mm Hg, with virtually all of the oxygen being carried in combination with hemoglobin. Breathing 100 percent oxygen at 3 atmospheres absolute (ATA) equivalent to barometric pressure at 66 feet of sea water, results in an arterial oxygen tension of about 200 mm Hg. In addition to the oxygen transported by hemoglobin, up to six volumes percent oxygen is carried in a dissolved state. This increased tissue oxygen tension increases the oxygen diffusion gradient and enhances oxygen delivery to relatively ischemic tissue. This is an important factor in the adjunctive therapy of a number of medical disorders. With this treatment, oxygen is being employed as a drug, with the dosage (time and pressure) varying according to the medical disorder being treated.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been successful in treatment of decompression sickness, arterial or venous gas embolism, clostridial myonecrosis (gas gangrene) and clostridial cellulitis, carbon monoxide poisioning, chronic osteomyelitis, osteomyelitis maxillofacial, and for promotion of granulation tissue formation, neovascularization and re-epithelialization in non-healing wounds.
Under current practice, some fully ambulatory patients can breathe 100% oxygen from a mask assembly while pressurized in a hyperbaric chamber at a desired pressure. However, many patients are equipped with medical facial appliances which prevent them from receiving oxygen by mask. Rather, the entire head must be enclosed in an oxygen environment, such as in a hood.
Furthermore, during the process of oxygen delivery, it is essential that an adequate seal be made between the chamber atmosphere and the breathing atmosphere to ensure that the patient receives 100% oxygen and to ensure against leakage of the oxygen into the chamber environment. It is also important to be able to open the oxygen delivery system or to be able to remove it rapidly and without difficulty in order to provide proper medical management of seriously ill patients.
Under current practice, a patient's head will be placed in a plastic hood assembly which is taped to the shoulders of the patient. This method of hood delivery invariably results in tape burns to the patient after daily use for any extented period. It also permits leakage of oxygen into the chamber environment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hood which can be rapidly donned or doffed by the patient or by an assistant.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hood which avoids infliction of tape burns upon the patient over long durations of wear.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hood which limits leakage of oxygen into the hyperbaric chamber environment.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a hood which has the ability to deliver 100% oxygen to patients with facial deformities and facial medical appliances.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a hood with inflatable means for support of the head of a patient who is treated in the reclining position.